Hello May – we’ve been waiting for you because we’re super excited to kick off the month’s first Team Tuesday with none other than Team Quilomene! Amy Cronin and Naomi Grebe are two Original Rebelles who initially met on a trip in the Quilomene Wildlife Recreation Area. With a shared love for overlanding and some serious passion for automotive, Team Quilomene was serendipitously formed. These two had a blast in last year’s Rebelle, and we’re stoked to welcome them back for round two of the Rebelle!
Amy currently lives in Seattle, Washington where she is a Director of Marketing and Project Management. There are incredible spots to overland in the Pacific Northwest, so when she’s not working you’ll find her (you guessed it) overlanding! She also loves yoga, hiking, and tinkering with her guitar.
Amy had a great time in last year’s Rebelle and she’s coming back as…it’s human nature to migrate towards things we love! One of the highlights from last year’s rally was working together with Naomi as a team – they had an incredible competition by communicating well and being on the same page.
It’s been about 6 months since the inaugural Rebelle and we asked Amy to share a piece of advice with future Rebelles since the dust has settled. “Each time you have that thought/fear…think back to reading this profile and hear me telling you that YOU CAN DO IT. YOU ARE CAPABLE AND YOU WILL BE GREAT. Period.”
She adds. “It took a few months to digest this, but the experience of completing the Rebelle gave me a confidence that filtered into other areas of my life in a quiet, but profound way. I’ve always thought of myself as under-qualified in many things I do, simply because there’s always someone better at whatever it is you’re doing. But somehow this experience gave me a way to believe in my own abilities and perform better at work, feel more at ease in personal relationships, and accept my best efforts at things I care about.”
Naomi lives in Salt Lake City where she is a stay-at-home mom to three girls as well as a Social Media and SEO liaison. Naomi is a textile artist, modern quilter, and overlanding enthusiast.
Going into the second year and after finishing a solid 11th place, Naomi’s goals for the event are improving upon the placement now that they had a little experience, and also document everything a little more carefully. And her words of wisdom for incoming Rebelles?
“Find a spot in your house, make a list and put things on the list in that spot, and check them off AND DO NOT STRESS ABOUT THEM AGAIN. YOU ARE DONE WITH THAT THING. Keep doing that.” And with one Rebelle under her belt, Naomi’s got her must-haves down for this year: great boots that fit well and are comfortable, Gatorade, water bottles, quick snack stuff that you can eat one handed, and “CHOCOLATE. EMERGENCY FREAKING CHOCOLATE.” (we hear ya, Naomi!)
Lastly Naomi state, “The first year was incredible for me in so many ways, but it’s been so cool to come home and also see it trickle down to my three daughters, too. As I’ve recounted stories, and moments, and hopefully displayed things I’ve learned or experienced, to watch them look at the world and see the possibilities, and have the knowledge that THEY CAN.”
Sounds like she’s got some future Rebelles in the making!
